Why don't you cry about it?: a miscellany.

1. Things that have made me cry recently:

• the father-and-son scenes in Man of Steel
• a Shawn Colvin playlist my son put on while I was making a salad 
• stuff my grandsons did and said
• getting on the airplane to go home
• a video chat with my son and grandson
• various parts of several episodes of The Killing I watched last night when we went home
• getting ready to go for a walk with the dog last night
• some other things that I cannot really talk about right now.

2.  Things I could not care less about:

• writing a draft of this chapter that's due on the 15th
• exerting myself in any way shape or form, especially mentally.

3. You should really check this out:

•  Next Draft. I heard about it through kottke, who said this:

 

 Of course I subscribed. And it's true: I find a daily dose of happiness in just scrolling through the links that Dave Pell curates, with his dry and hilarious commentary. I often click through to a few of the articles. It's timely and smart and always good stuff. You might find some of it on your own--but you might not, and since more uncertainty in these dark times might just push you (or "me") over the edge, you'd better subscribe too.

4. What I want to eat/drink:

--just

• salad,
• watermelon,
• and lemonade. Or limeade.

In related news, I have only one of these items in the house. Woe.

Notes.

I am writing. As in, this morning, I wrote. A poem. I am still working on it. Also, there is a new poem percolating in my brain.

*

At night for the last month, we've been hearing the crickets singing away.

*

I bought a little earring--a brass wasp, a tiny stud. I had it in my earlobe last night while we were walking Bruiser. In checking it obsessively, I brushed it away and it is gone. Tiny little brass wasp, gone.

*

Moneyball is here. I can't think of a recent movie I have been more excited to see. There are also worthy movies showing currently at the Broadway. By "worthy movie," I mean the kind of movie that will make you feel like a better person, a more virtuous person, if you see it. Tonight, we are going to see a worthy movie. It will probably be pretty good. I will, I'm betting, in fact feel like a better person for seeing it. But tomorrow night, we're going to see Moneyball. I'm thinking of it this way: if we wait one more night, that's one more night I can look forward to seeing it.

*

Last week, rather than see Drive, we went to see The Guard again. I really, really love that movie. Anyone who has seen Drive--was I wrong?

That's what I want.

Lately, the historian and I have been talking about money. A lot. It turns out the historian is thinking about retirement which means--why is this?--that we need to think about how we spend money (as opposed to just spending it, which I think we'll all agree is preferable, especially if there's an endless supply, which, come to think of it, we don't have, haven't ever had, we should probably have been talking about this sooner!). This is good (I keep telling myself).

So right now, we talk about almost every purchase with an eye toward (a) not crossing the threshold we're shooting for, and (b) figuring out how our little schema with its thresholds works. So, for instance, are the presents we bought for a new baby part of the "Gifts" budget? or is it part of the "Miscellaneous Expenditures" budget, since it's not one of the gifts designated in the gifts budget? Yes, this way lies madness, especially when you're paying the cashier at Target and thinking, if it comes out of the miscellaneous budget, that really cramps our miscellaneous style!

This is good (I keep telling myself). The flowers I bought and planted this weekend, and also tomatoes, basil, and other herbs, belong in the "Miscellaneous Expenditures" budget, although I'm thinking of advancing the idea that "miscellaneous" needs to be deconstructed into "Household" and "Car" and other stuff that will make the categories less all-encompassing and therefore less likely to make me feel like there is no money to buy, say, nail polish. Or earrings.

In the meanwhile, I made another movie. For free (sort of--if you don't count internet access, or amortize the iMac and its splendid software, or my camera, etc. etc. etc. we've spent all the money and we're never going to be able to afford to go to France). This one is about Bruiser, and he is in the frame at every point! Technical advance!

And now, a few questions for Bruiser. from lisab on Vimeo.

The shopper reports.

The last ten things I bought:

1. loaf of pain au levain at Pierre's
2. shrimp pad thai
3. potato chips
4. frozen lemonade
5. walking shoes (gray in case you're interested)
6. black nightgown
7. set of drinking glasses, with one missing
8. embossed tin box
9. USA Today (for the crossword!)
10. packet of Poppycock